And now for something completely different.
Taking football from the playing field and turning it into a field for expression, Chapter 001 from OHBAB brings together second-hand football jerseys and sportswear, upcycled entirely by hand in Bayonne. Jerseys, shorts, skirts, and briefs become unique OHBAB pieces.
Words from Astrid Manoukian, Artistic Director & Photographer, @astrid_manoukian
OHBAB: a new fashion brand born out of upcycling sportswear and kit into unique clothing, from founder and designer Raphaëlle Garcia, @ohbab_studio
For this shoot, we wanted the models to feel powerful, free and fully entitled to take up space.
Numerous studies have shown that society, public spaces and, more broadly, places dedicated to play and sport have historically been designed for men — and therefore occupied predominantly by them. From a very young age, women learn to remain on the sidelines, to watch rather than participate, and above all, not to cross the line. This division of spaces and roles is deeply systemic. It can still be seen today in the visibility given to women's sport: the most watched and widely broadcast football matches remain those played by men's teams.
For us, this project was a way of shifting that line — reclaiming the space and giving it to women, of creating a playing field where they could express themselves freely, while also highlighting female artists and creatives and bringing their different worlds into dialogue.
The shoot also tells a deeply collective story: one of sisterhood, solidarity and the desire to play as a team rather than against one another.
This approach resonates particularly strongly with OHBAB, whose upcycling work transforms, subverts and reimagines existing garments. By combining different pieces, influences and creative talents, we wanted to build a free, contemporary and hybrid universe that celebrates both the clothes and the women wearing them.
We are incredibly happy with the result and hope these images can inspire new creative opportunities.
Boa Boa
Before OHBAB, there was BOA BOA, a thrift store in Bayonne. Clothes that had already been worn, sometimes forgotten, that didn't need a new identity—only to be seen differently. Raphaëlle cuts, gathers, reconstructs, and transforms existing jerseys, shorts, and textiles by hand. Beads, lace, ruffles, and unexpected volumes enter the field uninvited.
The colours, numbers, marks, and imperfections of their first life remain visible. Each piece is unique, made only once and never reproduced exactly. REWORK THE RULES. Football brings together emotions, memories, and rituals that go far beyond the result of a match. OHBAB takes its clothes off the field and lets each person decide how to wear them: oversized, fitted, repurposed, or worn with pride. No imposed body type. No side to choose. No offside. OH BAB.
In Strasbourg, where Raphaëlle is from, "Oh bab!" was a phrase used among friends to express surprise—a local and spontaneous way of saying "Oh shit!" Years later, the expression found another BAB: Bayonne, Anglet, Biarritz, the territory where the project took shape. The name wasn't invented. It was simply waiting for its moment. CHAPTER 001 — REWORK THE RULES Not a series. A first chapter. The rest is already underway.
